Make it work
by Bookworm1986
Summary: Written for birdydrapers's prompt on tumblr. "Post 2x11 Carrie/Brody and Mike/Jess are together, and Carrie and Mike have become good friends, easing the tension whenever the four of them have to be in the same place." This one is for LilMisfit


Disclaimer - I do not own Homeland. That pleasure belongs to Showtime. No copyright infringement or money making scheme intended. This is purely for reading enjoyment.

A/N Post "In Memoriam". AU as the explosion at Langley in "The Choice" does not happen. Carrie and Brody's tango did. Assumes that Brody's involvement in helping get Nazir is public knowledge.

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><p>5 September 2013<p>

He could hear her screaming from down the hall way, but he couldn't move and they wouldn't let him get to her anyway. It is agony to listen to. They allowed Maggie in as a professional courtesy, but he is resigned to the hall of the labour suite.

"DON'T PUSH! WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN, DON'T PUSH?", Carrie's painful yells fill the corridor.

Mike chortles. "Poor Doctor is going to need a new pair of ears."

"That's my girl", Frank's grin stretches from ear to ear. The man is like a jack in the box and completely unable to stand still. Excited and impatient to welcome another grandchild into the world.

Brody is glad others can find amusement, but he feels sick to his stomach. He's out here being useless and self-centred whilst Carrie is giving birth. He can't help it. He has already screwed up being a father spectacularly. Much worse than he feared and he was petrified in this very hospital 18 years ago waiting on Dana's arrival. Oh, sure he had been excited all throughout the pregnancy, but when it came to the reality of his first born fear had flooded him. He'd been much more hyper and assured second time round with Chris.

"Come on man, you've done this twice before why you looking so queasy?", Mike asks putting his hand on Brody's shoulder.

"Excuse me? Who has done this twice before?", Jess interrupts glaring between Mike and Brody.

"You know what I mean", Mike tries to appease her. Jess just shakes her head at him, muttering under her breath. Brody can't find the energy to care what she is muttering. He's surprised Mike managed to get her and Dana here. Chris is enthusiastic about meeting his little brother or sister. He's sure Dana is too and her display of irritation is more to do with him and what she knows about him rather than at her new sibling.

Dr Stevens, the unlucky Doctor with the task of taking care of Carrie comes out of her room and walks towards them.

"Dad and Grandpa", he calls for Brody and Frank. Frank is following behind Dr Stevens immediately. Brody feels as though his legs are made of jelly and Mike has to give him a push.

"Get in there to the two of them!"

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><p>Brody walks into the room that Carrie has been given. They have been given a lot of special treatment because of her status and his. The latter part of which sticks in his throat. He knows how lucky he is to be a free man, but it doesn't help him deal with everyone who wants to talk to a hero. Brody catches sight of the pink blanket in which his new born is wrapped in. He stops where he is. A girl. He has another girl.<p>

Carrie looks absolutely shattered, but she catches his eye and smiles as much as she is able. He bypasses Frank who looks as though you could knock him down with a feather right now and sits down on the bed wrapping his arm around Carrie. Kissing her on the forehead, he takes his first look at their daughter. Little tufts of ginger hair were already showing.

Emotion sweeps over him and he hugs Carrie and their little girl closer to him. Before long Carrie is asleep. He wants desperately to hold his little girl, but doesn't want to disrupt her when she and her mother are cuddled in together giving him the best picture he's seen in years.

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><p>When Carrie next wakes up she can tell the room is full. There is an energy crackling in the air. She doesn't have much energy right now. Giving herself a few moments she does not immediately open her eyes. She notes the absence of the little bundle in her arms, but does not worry. She listens to the babble of noise and allows herself a smile at the sound of awe in Chris's voice as he talks about his little sister.<p>

"She's beautiful", Carrie hears Mike say.

"You know better, Faber. I'd kick your ass if you said anything else", Carrie announces herself awake to everyone.

"No. That is when it comes to you. I don't have to pretend with this little one. She is gorgeous."

"You're for it mister once I get my strength back."

"Promises, promises. I reckon I'd still look better than Dr Stevens. I doubt he could look more frazzled if he'd given birth himself."

"Yeah, well his advice was about as useful as a chocolate teapot", Carrie mutters disdainfully. "He kept telling me to hold on. I'd like to see him deal with a kid trying to squeeze out of his hole."

Brody reaches over to pat Chris on the back as he nearly chokes on the juice he is drinking. Mike and Frank are wetting themselves with laughter. Dana tries to hide her amusement. Maggie looks resigned and Jess disbelieving. She is still trying to get used to Carrie. Brody is grateful she is trying.

"Moving on", Mike manages to say through laughter. "She wears the red hair better than her father", Mike adds, eyes twinkling.

"Watch it, Mike", Brody jokes in reply.

"I agree", Carrie begins. "With Mike." Brody pouts as Carrie smiles. "I love that she has red hair. Did you see her eyes?"

"When she woke up to be fed", Brody answers.

"Oh, yeah. You should have seen dad and Grandpa here", Mike gestures to them. "Nurse tried to insist that she needs to be breast fed. I doubt she'll be coming back in this room while the two of them are still here. Anyway, what you are saying is she's all Brody? Poor Kid!"

"Hey!", Brody protests.

"No", Carrie answers nonchalantly. "She can be very grateful she got the Mathison nose!"

Brody expected the laughs from everyone else, but not Jess.

"You're not ganging up on me now as well are you?"

"If you recall I said something similar. Twice!", Jess answers. Brody smiles at her as they both think of the time when they were happy.

"Do you have a name for her yet", Mike asks as he strokes her little cheek with Jess joining him. Brody marvels at the positive effect Mike has on Jess. He'd never have thought in a million years she'd be here right now. He stands up and walks over to Carrie. "I think Mike looks a bit broody", he whispers to her.

"Yeah, he does. Would you be ok if that went somewhere?"

Brody watches Jess and Mike with his daughter for a few seconds and finds himself saying something he never believed possible. "Yeah, I would."

"Right, Mr Faber. I believe you asked about names", Carrie draws everyone's attention.

"We decided on Frannie, as in Frances, after my dad, Anne Brody."

Everyone's reactions are pretty much as expected, but it is Frank's that Brody is surprised by. The hug for Carrie is no shock, but the hug he receives which nearly takes him off his feet is. Frank has been civil to him for Carrie's sake, but is not his biggest fan for which Brody does not blame him. "You better take care of them", he whispers in Brody's ear just before letting him go. Brody meets his eyes and nods his head.

He's not messing this up.


End file.
